Earnhardt’s return could take more time
CHArLottE, N.C. Dale Earnhardt Jr. warned Monday his return to NASCAR could take longer than planned.
NASCAR’s most popular driver is scheduled to miss his third consecutive race this Sunday with concussion-like symptoms. On his weekly podcast, he said he will have another evaluation soon to see “what kind of gains we’ve made and get in front of my doctors ... and let them tell me where they think I’m at and that will help us make the decision on what we’re going to do for Watkins Glen.”
Jeff Gordon came out of retirement to drive for Earnhardt on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Gordon will race the No. 88 car again this weekend at Pocono. No decision has been made by Hendrick Motorsports about next month’s race at Watkins Glen.
Earnhardt said on last week’s podcast he was struggling with balance and nausea, and said Monday that doctors have given him daily exercises to improve his balance.
“That stuff takes about two hours, two and a half hours,” he said. “I’ve got to do it every day. There’s worse things to have to do. Some of it is tedious. Some of it is pretty tough. Some of the visual stuff is pretty tough.
“You can race with some ailments. You can race with a bad wrist ... there’s been some guys that have done some pretty incredible things. I’ve raced with a broken shoulder blade. There’s certain things you can race through, but one of the things you cannot race through is concussion-like symptoms. The balance deal is a critical part of being able to drive a race car.”
The NFL says it found no credible evidence that Peyton Manning was provided with human growth hormone or other prohibited substances as alleged in a documentary by AlJazeera America last year.
The league said the quarterback and his wife, Ashley, fully co-operated in the sevenmonth investigation, providing interviews and access to all records sought by investigators.
The NFL is continuing its investigation into allegations made against other NFL players in the documentary, which the league said involves “different lines of inquiry and witnesses.” Those other players – all of them linebackers – provided the league with sworn affidavits, but the NFL wants to interview them in person.
In stark contrast, Manning, who retired a month after Denver’s 24-10 win over Carolina in Super Bowl 50, welcomed the probe.
In December, Al-Jazeera reported that an intern at an Indianapolis anti-aging clinic was secretly recorded suggesting that Manning’s wife received deliveries of HGH in 2011 while the quarterback was recovering from neck fusion surgery.
The intern, Charles Sly, recanted his statements, which were recorded without his knowledge. He said they were fabricated in an attempt to impress a potential business partner.
Manning angrily denounced the report, calling it “completely fabricated, complete trash, garbage,” and insisting he never took shortcuts in his return to football after missing 2011 with neck problems.
At the time the allegations were levied, both the Broncos and the Colts, whom Manning played for from 1998 to 2011, issued statements in support of the five-time MVP.
Manning said he sought holistic treatments such as hyperbaric oxygen and nutrient therapy at the Guyer Institute of Molecular Medicine with knowledge and consent of the Colts training and medical staff following his four neck surgeries.
He insisted he never used performance-enhancing substances and never took anything sent to his wife.
HGH is banned by professional sports leagues and is only legal to prescribe in a few specific medical conditions.
The NFL and players union added human growth hormone testing to the collective bargaining agreement signed in 2011, but the sides didn’t agree to testing terms until 2014. Nobody has tested positive, which would trigger a four-game suspension.
The Al-Jazeera report alleged other high-profile athletes obtained PEDs, including baseball stars Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies and Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals.